"We are Not Cancelling at This Time": Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Monitors Public Health Advice for June's Offshore Race

2nd April 2021

Grant Kinsman's A30 racing to Dingle in the 2019 Race

Grant Kinsman and Mick Flynn's A31 'A Plus' is aiming to race to Dingle in June's 2021 D2D Race Credit: Afloat

June's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Offshore Race is fully subscribed and operating a waiting list and still operating on the basis that it will go ahead as planned on June 9th despite the changing public health situation, according to Race Chairman Adam Winkelmann.

The confirmation comes after a lack of clarity for sailing events following the easing of lockdown restrictions announced earlier this week by the Government.

"We are not cancelling the race at this time and we do not intend to cancel the race until the facts and the guidance determine that we should cancel it", Winkelmann told skippers, who are making preparations for the 2021 edition of the 320-miler in just under 70 days time.

The Government plans to continue its cautious approach, gradually easing restrictions, while a substantial level of the population is vaccinated during April, May and June, after which, it should be safe to reopen society more widely.

"we do not intend to cancel the race until the facts and the guidance determine that we should cancel it"

In an update to competitors, the National Yacht Club organiser said "A strong element of the ethos of the race is that it be fun. It combines competitive racing at sea followed by great social fun in Dingle for those that want it, and the opportunity to cruise in the South West region or participate in other racing events such as the Sovereigns Cup".

We want to offer all our skippers, crews and supporters just that - but the public health situation increasingly looks like it may make that combination impossible to achieve", he told the fleet.

Adam Winkelmann, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Offshore Race Organiser - in making the decision to stage the June fixture he says he also has to consider the situation with regard to rescue services and those people responsible for our safety at sea

For now, Winkelmann and the NYC race team continue to monitor and track all available information and guidance in respect of running an offshore sailing race.

He says the NYC currently have very little hard information beyond April 26th, though the NYC and the Dingle Skellig Hotel, in particular, are hoping for an opening of inter-county travel and hotels in early June.

Winkelmann says he will announce more as soon as he can with another date of May 5th now being the likely timeframe for more information.

The organisers may also run a survey of entrants at that point to better gauge individual owners intentions.

Winklemann told the ICRA conference in March that if the restrictions do not permit the race to go ahead on June 9th, then a decision has already been made to "push the event out until its next staging in June 2023".

Read Winkelmann's full statement here

Published in Dun Laoghaire Dingle

Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Live Tracker 2023

Track the progress of the 2023 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Yacht Race fleet on the live tracker above and the leaderboard below

Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Live Leaderboard 2023

The 16th edition of the 280-mile race organised by the National Yacht Club starts at 2 pm on Wednesday, June 7th, on Dublin Bay.

Read the full 2023 race preview by WM Nixon here
Read all the D2D Race News in one handy link here
Listen to Lorna Siggins's interview with Race Chairman Adam Winkelmann on Afloat's Wavelengths here

WM Nixon will be posting regular race updates and analysis throughout the 2023 race here

Published in Dun Laoghaire Dingle

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Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Yacht Race Information

The biennial Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race is a 320-miles race down to the east coast of Ireland, across the south coast and into Dingle harbour in County Kerry.

The race is organised by the National Yacht Club.

It never fails to offer a full range of weather, wind and tide to the intrepid entrants, ranging from a 32ft cruiser to a 79ft all-out racer.

Three divisions are available to enter: cruiser (boats equipped with furlers), racing (the bulk of the fleet) and also two-handed.

D2D Course change overruled

In 2019, the organisers considered changing the course to allow boats to select routes close to shore by removing the requirement to go outside Islands and Lighthouses en route, but following input from regular participants, the National Yacht Club decided to stick with the tried and tested course route in order to be fair to large and smaller boats and to keep race records intact.

D2D Course record time

Mick Cotter’s 78ft Whisper established the 1 day and 48 minutes course record for the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race in 2009 and that time stood until 2019 when Cotter returned to beat his own record but only just, the Dun Laoghaire helmsman crossing the line in Kerry to shave just 20 seconds off his 2009 time.